Spring Dinner Strawberry Arugula (Printable)

Vibrant salad with strawberries, arugula, goat cheese, and a tangy balsamic glaze for spring dinners.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 6 cups fresh arugula, washed and dried
02 - 2 cups ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
05 - 1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
06 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Balsamic Glaze

07 - 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
08 - 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

→ Dressing

09 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

# How To Make:

01 - In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar and honey. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool completely.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt until emulsified.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine arugula, sliced strawberries, and red onion.
04 - Drizzle the olive oil and lemon dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Add crumbled goat cheese and toasted pecans or walnuts. Toss lightly or arrange toppings decoratively for presentation.
06 - Drizzle the cooled balsamic glaze over the salad just before serving. Finish with freshly ground black pepper.

# Top Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in less time than it takes to set the table, leaving you calm instead of stressed before guests arrive.
  • The sweet-tart-peppery combination keeps people reaching for another bite, and it's genuinely hard to mess up.
02 -
  • Slice the strawberries right before assembly—they weep liquid if they sit around, which dilutes everything and makes the salad soggy.
  • The balsamic glaze thickens more as it cools, so don't let it reduce longer than five minutes or it becomes too thick to drizzle.
03 -
  • Toast your own nuts at home in a dry skillet for three to four minutes if you can—store-bought toasted ones work fine, but there's a warmth and freshness to home-toasted that makes a difference.
  • Make the balsamic glaze while your guests are arriving, so it's still warm and pours like silk instead of sitting thick in the bottle.
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